grandparents

Should Grandparents Have Rights?

Nuclear or Extended Family

Whether grandparents have rights is not a complex question. The underlying premise is that an extended family (grandparents, aunts, and uncles) is healthier and advantageous to the social and mental health of a child. It goes without saying that a nuclear family, mom and dad, is the most important component of a child’s cognitive skills and emotional well-being, but the extended family plays an enormous part in the educational advancement of children.

Extended Family Improves a Child’s Educational Success

Research and work done by Mads Meier Jæger, a Professor at the Department of Education, at Aarhus University shows that the extended family contributes significantly to the total effect of family background on educational success. -Link to Research- In short, the interaction of grandparents with the parents and with the child have a greater impact on improving the child’s educational success than other factors, including improved economic or social status.

What Does This Mean?

In most cases, a healthy amount of grandparent interaction can make all of the difference to a child’s healthy upbringing. Obviously, a parent should insure the safety and well-being of their child. If a grandparent is abusive, or is placing the child at risk, they should not be given the opportunity for visitation without supervision, but in most cases a child needs the multi-generational stimulation provided by their grandparents.

Author Brian J. Boeheim of Boeheim Freeman Law

Boeheim Freeman Law - Grandparent Rights

The State of Oklahoma Statute